A Second Chance
by Lady Jaye1
Summary: King Yamma will bring Radditz back to life on two conditions: That his tail and memory be removed.
1. King Yamma's Offer

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Radditz, or anyone else for that matter. (Of course, that doesn't mean I don't wish I did.)_

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 1: King Yamma's Offer**

King Yamma sighed down at the irate Saiyan before his desk. The Saiyan in question scowled darkly as he gave his tail an impatient flick. The Lord of the Underworld cast an eye to the Saiyan's father, but Bardock said nothing as he watched quietly off to the side. King Yamma gave another heavy sigh.

"Radditz," he rumbled loudly. The books on his desk shook from the vibrations of his deep voice. Radditz scowled again as he glared up at the giant.

"I know why I'm here," the Saiyan growled, "Just get it over with." Bardock gave an irrated hiss at his oldest son then. All the other Saiyans had settled down in Hell, at least as settled as Saiyans could get. Everyone that is, except for Radditz.

Radditz glared up at King Yamma. _Stupid baka_, he thought. Was it _really_ his fault that he'd killed three of those stupid ogres? The fools shouldn't have pissed him off.

"SILENCE!" King Yamma roared. Radditz winced despite himself. King Yamma had thrown him into solitary confinement for several long months the last time he'd gotten himself into trouble.

The Lord of the Underworld slammed his fist down onto the desk in anger, causing the younger Saiyan to jump.

**"WHY?"** King Yamma continued to roar. "ALL THE REST OF YOUR PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED, INCLUDING YOUR FATHER HERE! WHY IN THE FIVE BLAZES OF HELL DO YOU CONTINUE TO REBEL?"

Good question. Radditz glared up at the man behind the enormous desk. How the hell should he know? He had no idea why he was so angry all the time.

"King Yamma," Bardock finally said. The irate giant turned an angry glare on the older Saiyan. Unperturbed, the Saiyan continued in his son's defense. "I believe the reason that my son is so rebellious is that he feels angry over how he SORELY WASTED his last few days in the living world." With that last part, Bardock cast a disapproving glare at his oldest son. He had been more than a little unhappy when his sons had managed to kill each other.

Radditz tried to ignore the angry pair of ebony eyes drilling into his back. It hadn't been his fault! Okay, it had, but how had his father expected him to react? Kakarott had denied his whole Saiyan heritage! He'd even removed his tail! To Radditz, that had been sacrilege.

King Yamma tapped his finger thoughtfully against his chin. Yes...Goku. If Radditz hadn't been Goku's older brother, then King Yamma wouldn't be bothering to spend so much of his VERY VALUABLE TIME on this one Saiyan upstart. He gave a grunt as he pulled a heavy red book out from one of his many piles and opened it. He thumbed through the pages until he came to the one he was searching for. Radditz crossed his arms and growled. He wondered what his punishment would be this time.

"Hmmmm...if Goku hadn't lost his memory, he may have turned out not too differently from you," King Yamma mused as he read the page. "If Goku..."

"Kakarott," Radditz corrected stubbornly.

"If _Goku_ and Vegeta managed to change, I should think you could as well."

Radditz gave a hrumph. However Bardock, who still possessed his ability to see the future, gave the giant Lord a sharp look.

"Just what are you suggesting King Yamma?" Bardock asked. Radditz gave his father a curious look, but Bardock ignored him. For a very brief instant, he saw an image of strangely garbed Radditz fighting on an unknown world. Then just as briefly, it was replaced by a faint image of two young green haired girls. They both had Saiyan tails.

Bardock blinked as he looked at his son. Radditz gave him a questioning look. The older Saiyan turned back to the large giant.

"King Yamma?" Bardock asked again. King Yamma studied his son for a long moment before turning to another marked page in the red book.

"This has been on my mind for some time," the giant grumbled irritantly. "For some reason I've made the time in my VERY BUSY SCHEDULE to consider your _life_." Radditz blinked at that.

"My life?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I may give you a second chance at living on two conditions," King Yamma held up a finger.

"Number one, that your tail is removed and number two," he held up a second finger, "I remove all your memories." Radditz gaped at him for a brief moment before shaking his fists and sputtering angrily.

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL YOU DIRTY SON OF A...

Radditz saw stars as his father's fist connected to his face. Why the hell did he...

"RADDITZ! BE QUIET!" Bardock raged.

"BUT FATH..."

**"SILENCE!"** he roared again. Radditz took a step back, but his father grabbed a lock of his hair and yanked it hard.

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Bardock yelled again as his son started to protest. Radditz clamped his mouth shut and sullenly obeyed his father.

"Good, that's much better," King Yamma muttered as he rubbed his aching head. He wondered why he was even attempting this crazy idea anyway. He glared down at the younger Saiyan.

"Maybe I should retract my offer," the overlord growled. Bardock threw up his hands and waved them in dismay.

"NO! WAIT!" he yelled. "Just give us five minutes! Please!" Bardock had never said please before in his life. This didn't go unnoticed by King Yamma as he cast another glare at them. Finally he rubbed his head tiredly and agreed.

"Very well, five minutes," King Yamma rumbled. "Now move out of the way so I can get back to work!" Bardock grabbed a hold of his son's armor and dragged him off to the side of the long line.

"Listen to me!" Bardock hissed. "Don't screw up again by throwing this away!"

"But he wants to remove my memories! And my tail!"

"If that's the price then so be it!"

"Father!"

"RADDITZ!" Bardock roared, then quieted down as several heads turned in his direction. "Radditz, this is a second chance! You'd be a fool not to take it!"

"But my..."

"Tails can grow back! So can memories!"

"But how do you...oh..." Radditz trailed off as he eyed his father. "Did you see something father?" His father stared at him intently before admitting gruffly.

"I did see a brief glimpse of the future. And you did have a tail." _And I saw your daughters._ "Beyond that, I don't know. However, I DO know that you need to take the opportunity that he's giving you!" Radditz grumbled again and sulked. However, the idea of living again did appeal to him.

"Father," he said hesitantly, "I wouldn't remember anything! Not you. Not mother. Hell, not even Kakarott! And without my tail, I probably won't even know that I'm a Saiyan!" Radditz gave a pause as a flash of sadness appeared in his father's stony eyes. Bardock swallowed a strange lump in his suddenly dry throat. Dammit! This was no time for strange emotions!

"I know," Bardock admitted quietly, "But still...you have a chance to live! Don't throw it away! What do you think your mother would say if I told her that you had a chance to live again and threw it away?"

"She'd say I was a stupid baka," Radditz mumbled. Even so, he couldn't admit defeat just yet. "But Father! I wouldn't be me!" He gave a start as his clearly frustrated father grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.

"Radditz!" he shouted angrily. "Stop thinking with your hair!" Radditz stared at his father. _'Stop thinking with your hair!'_ was his father's term for _'Stop being stupid!'_

"I'm not thinking with my hair!" Radditz shouted back. His father gave an agitated sigh.

"Then stop thinking with your tail then!" he yelled.

"Father..." Bardock held up a hand to silence his protests.

"Son, I really think you should do this. No, I KNOW you should do this!" Radditz gave a huge sigh.

"But I won't remember..."

"TIME!" King Yamma bellowed. Bardock gave his son a pleading look. Radditz felt his heart skip a beat. His father _never_ pleaded. **NEVER.**

The pair found themselves back before the irate King Yamma. The Lord of the Underworld tapped his incredibly large pencil impatiently against the desk as he glared down at the Saiyans.

"Well?" he asked. "Give me an answer! I don't have all day!"

Radditz stared in indecision at the huge desk in front of him.

"I guess I'll have to take that as a no..."

"WAIT!" Bardock yelled.

**"I WON'T WAIT ANYMORE!"** King Yamma thundered. **"IT'S NOW OR NEVER! YOUR SON NEEDS TO DECIDE!" **There was a long pause and Bardock held his breath. It felt like an eternity to the anxious father as he waited for his oldest child to speak up. Finally, though reluctantly, Radditz finally agreed.

"Okay," Radditz consented numbly. Why the hell was he doing this? "I'll do it." And with that final commitment, King Yamma made a satisfied check into his red book.

"Very well," he rumbled. "So be it. You'll be the same age as when you died on Earth." Radditz forced himself to unclench his tight fists.

"Where am I going? Earth?" he asked warily.

"No," the overlord answered. "But perhaps in time you'll make it there."

"Then where..."

"Does it really matter Saiyan? You won't remember it when you wake up."

Radditz swallowed hard before nodding his head reluctantly.

"No, I guess not," he muttered. He and his father exchanged one last look before a female ogre led him away. Bardock stared after his offspring as he wondered about the strange feeling in his chest.

_Don't screw up_, Bardock pleaded silently. _Whatever you do Radditz, don't screw this up!_


	2. A New Life Begins

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z_

_Author's note: I've decided to model my story after the DBZ series in that it will be grouped into sagas. I have at least two, probably three sagas in mind._

**A Second Chance**

_The Ramen Saga  
__Chpt 2: _A New Life Begins

His first impression was of filtered sunlight streaming down through a canopy of ice blue leaves. Radditz slowly sat up and stared around him in confusion. Great, twisting trees of massive height stretched upward into the sky. A red sun was peeping through the leafy roof to reveal dense vegetation below.

_Where am I?_

It all seemed strangely peaceful. Thousands of faint sounds reached his ears, sounds of birds, insects, and other various forms of life. It sounded as if the forest itself were alive.

_What am I doing here?_

He turned his head to see what appeared to be a faint trail snaking it's way through the lavender colored brush. The Saiyan sat for a long time as he wondered about this curiosity. Everything seemed so strange.

_I don't remember anything._

Radditz froze. His heart beat seemed to drown out the forest as he stared into space. _I don't remember anything._

_Who am I?_

He looked down at his himself. Unknown to him, King Yamma had dressed him in an exact replica of Goku's orange gi as a private joke at his expense. Radditz, however, knew none of this as he searched for some clue to his identity. An unbidden wave of panic rose in his chest and it took him several minutes to mostly calm himself down.

Radditz's hands shook slightly as he looked back at the forest path. Not being able to think of anything else, he decided to follow it. His legs shook with effort as he managed to get to his feet. This strange world, wherever King Yamma had dumped him, had twice the gravity of planet Vegeta. He took a step.

He fell flat on his face.

The absence of a tail had also proved hazardous to his balance.

However, Radditz knew none of this as he scowled through the grass. His arms shook again as he pushed himself to his knees. Why was he having such a hard time standing? This time Radditz managed to take two steps before falling, this time on his rump.

This was absurd! Surely walking couldn't be such a hard task!

Radditz growled as he pushed himself to his feet again. To hell with walking, standing took enough effort. This time he simply stood there with a hand on a tree trunk for support. He stood there for a while before daring to take a single step. He wobbled slightly before taking another step, then another, and another.

Then he fell on his face again.

"Stupid dirt."

It was then that Radditz became aware of hundreds of tiny eyes peering at him through the hollow of a dying tree.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Paper!"

"Rock!"

"Paper beats rock!"

"HOW CAN PAPER BEAT ROCK?"

"You're both idiots," Celipa growled. Toma and Panboukin were both glaring at each. Panboukin had won yet another game of Rock Paper Scissors. Toma, being Toma, was being a sore loser.

"Paper always beats rock!" Panboukin yelled.

"And I'll say it again! How the hell can paper beat rock?"

Celipa sighed in frustration. Wasn't there _anything _she could do besides listen to these idiots? Totepo had been smart and left early. Stupid her for staying here.

"What the hell are they arguing about now?" growled a new voice. Celipa looked behind her to see a bemused Bardock.

"What else?" she asked dryly. "Toma's a sore loser."

"NO I'M NOT!" Toma protested. Celipa glared at him a moment before firing a small Ki blast at the other Saiyan. Toma gave a yelp. Bardock chuckled as he looked around.

"Where's my wife?" he asked. "I need to talk to her." Celipa pointed her thumb toward the distant figure of King Vegeta.

"Last time I saw her, the Queen had talked her and two others into ganging up on the King."

"Good Kami, about what?" Celipa shrugged at him.

"Don't know, but the good king was in a real hurry to try hiding from them."

"Did it work?"

"Of course not."

"Hey," Toma said suddenly. "Where's the Kid? Did Yamchops stick him in the box again?" Yamchops was the unfortunate name for King Yamma that Radditz had come up with. The nickname had quickly spread, until even the ogres were secretly referring to him as that.

"That's what I need to talk to my wife about," Bardock answered.

"So he's in the box?"

"No," he answered. Bardock paused before smirking widely. "He's _alive_." His team stared dumbstruck at him.

"How the hell did _that _happen?" Panboukin breathed. Bardock smirked again.

"I'll tell you after I talk to my wife."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Radditz managed to stand on his feet as he watched hundreds of tiny white faces peering at him out of the tree hollow. The creatures, whatever they were, could probably fit in the palm of hand. Their white bodies were pudgy and their heads were oddly shaped.

_What the hell are those things?_

A strange clicking sound reached his ears as they all began to bob their heads in unison. One adventurous creature hopped down and inched closer to him.

"Uh...can you tell me where I am?" he asked, feeling foolish. The creature bobbed its head and blinked at him. _Does it even understand me? _Two more creatures made their way towards them. Radditz wobbled again, but managed not to fall down.

"Hey! Wait a..." Radditz blinked as he realized that most of the other creatures were moving towards him. He took a step back and fell down again. "Stay away from me!" They halted before continuing onward. Radditz scooted backward.

"Get away!"

Radditz swore darkly as the strange creatures began to crawl over him. "Hey!" _What the hell are these things? _The Saiyan gave a yelp as something tugged on his long hair. He tried to fend off the offending creatures, but the heavy gravity and the lack of a tail were hampering his movements.

"What the..."

He swore again as the creatures began to drag him somewhere, he didn't know where. They clicked and bobbed their heads as they went, further agitating, and worrying, the Saiyan.

"Get away from me!"

Suddenly all of the creatures went flying back. Radditz didn't have any idea what happened, it was as if some invisible force had thrown them back. Radditz staggered to his feet and tried to get away. He caught tree branches for support as he attempted to escape the strange creatures, but they continued silently after him.

All of a sudden, they all began to click away at once, startling the Saiyan into losing his hard won balance. He slipped and fell down a steep drop off next to him and went tumbling down the dirt. He landed in a muddy creek. Radditz tried to stand up and slipped in the mud. This time, the creatures' clicking turned into a strange chirping chorus.

_They're mocking me!_

"Go away!" Radditz tried to fling mud at them, but it didn't reach up the steep embankment. The creatures continued to chirp at the agitated Saiyan as he tried to stand up and fell again. He muttered darkly through the mud.

_What the hell's wrong with me? Why can't I walk?_

_Wh_o _am I?_

Radditz staggered to his feet again and managed not to slip in the mud. He was completely soaked and covered in muddy slime. Small twigs and dead leaves were sticking throughout his long hair and segments of his orange clothes had been stained and ripped.

Slowly, and with great determination, he managed to get onto the bank on the opposite side of the creek. He sat there for a long moment as he glared at the small offending creatures. They gathered on top of the hill and stared down at him. Radditz climbed to his feet and walked slowly away, following the creek. He was a having a slightly easier time walking, but it was still difficult.

_What is this place? _Radditz paused as he stared around him.

_Where should I go? What should I do?_

It was at that moment that the Saiyan's stomach gave a loud rumble. He groaned as hunger pains suddenly churned his insides. Radditz gave a start then as he realized that he could hear a faint voice. He held his breath and listened more closely.

Radditz set his mouth in determination and slowly made his way towards the voice. He could hear it more clearly now. It was a deep voice. The Saiyan found himself slowly gaining a better sense of balance as he walked, but his body still felt incredibly heavy.

He paused as he caught a glimpse of movement in the trees. There appeared to be only one person, yet he seemed to be talking to himself. Radditz moved and accidentally snapped a twig. The voice paused. The Saiyan was debating whether or not if he should continue when the choice was made for him.

Something flashed out of the trees and landed in front of him. Something hit him in the chest, causing the Saiyan to tumble on his back. Radditz looked up in surprise to see a pointed eared man glaring down at him. He was holding a long, ebony staff in his hands as he studied the Saiyan warily. Ice blue eyes flashed underneath short cropped red hair as the man watched Radditz slowly stand up. The strange man wore a long, dark blue tunic over light tan pants, not unlike the orange ones that he himself wore.

"Who are you?" Radditz asked.

"I should ask you that my friend," the man said quickly. "You're one of Lord Ramen's spies, aren't you?"

"Uh.."

"Of course you are, you must be! Look at you, you look like a wild man! That dirty appearance of yours is probably so you can blend into the forest better..."

"I..."

"Why were you spying on me?" the man demanded again.

"I wasn't spying! I don't even know where I am!"

"Likely story," Red Hair shot back. "I know how your kind works. Ramen's been after this country for the last year. Well, you're a pretty poor spy..." The strange man continued to ramble on quickly as a dumbfounded Radditz could only stare at him. What the hell was he talking about?

"Look!" Radditz finally broke in. The man showed no signs of shutting up. "I don't know who you are, I don't know where I am, I don't know who this Ramen guy is, and I don't even know who I am!" The other man paused and cocked his head. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before pointing his staff at him.

"Look Mr. Wild Man, how do you expect me to believe a story like that? How can you not know where you're at?"

"Well I don't, okay! I don't remember anything!" Radditz yelled, growing more frustrated by the second. Red Hair scratched his head before peering closely at him.

"You don't look like a Lahanian to me, what are you?" he asked.

"Oh, like I know!" Radditz shot back.

"You must be one of Ramen's men, no respectable Lahanian would join him!"

"What about the unrespectable ones?" Radditz asked.

"Er..."

"See, I..." Radditz was cut off as the ground suddenly began to shake. There was a large rumble as what had originally appeared to be a nearby hill moved and sat up. The largest man that Radditz had ever seen, which was in truth, only the second man he had ever seen, stood up. The angry giant towered over the temporary speechless Saiyan and the loud mouthed Lahanian.

"Oh look," Red Hair remarked dryly. "We just woke up a forest troll."

The troll roared irately and beat its broad chest.


	3. Maes Maturin

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z_

_Author's note: Thanks for the good reviews so far. I appreciate it. _

_Also: Maes is pronounced Mayz, for near future reference._

**A Second Chance  
**_The Ramen Saga_

_Chpt 3: Maes Maturin_

Radditz stared up at the giant, hairy creature. He wrinkled his nose as he caught the troll's unpleasant stench. He looked over at the strange red haired man, but he seemed more amused than afraid. With a sudden start, Radditz also realized that he wasn't alarmed either.

"WHO DISTURBED MY SLUMBER?" The forest troll roared. Red Hair muttered something as he scratched his head. He then gave his staff a twirl before giving the monster an annoyed look.

"That's so cliché and did anyone ever tell you that you have very repulsive breath my friend? You should try chewing on some eila mint, it'll really freshen you right up..."

"SILENCE!"

For a brief moment, Radditz was glad that the troll had yelled. The red haired man seemed to have a little problem with running his mouth off. Red Hair waved a hand in front of his face before launching into another breathless tirade.

"Really now, Mr. Troll, that breath of yours is so repulsive perhaps you should listen to my advice and..."

Radditz and Red Hair jumped out of the way as the troll slammed a fist down at them. The heavier gravity was still slowing the Saiyan down; however, the lack of a tail was no longer causing balance problems for him.

"You're too slow Mr. Wild Man!" Red Hair shouted. Radditz dodged out of the way as the troll whirled a mace at them. Fortunately for the Saiyan, most of the giant's wrath had become focused on the quick talking red haired man. Red Hair leapt up into a tree and grinned at the troll. The troll bellowed in rage before tearing down the tree. Red Hair did a somersault and landed nimbly next to Radditz.

"You just going to stand there all day Wild Man? If you don't keep moving you'll..."

"Don't you ever shut up?" Radditz finally yelled.

"No, I'm afraid not. It seems to be an unfortunate ailment that drives many to..."

The jumped out of the way as the angry troll leapt at them. The ground shook at the impact of the heavy body. Radditz suddenly found himself becoming vastly irritated. He was irritated by the fact that this strange creature was attacking them and he was also annoyed by the nimble elf eared man who was dancing circles around the two of them.

"You're slow, Mr. Wild Man!" Red Hair taunted. Radditz whipped around to glare at him.

"Shut up!"

Radditz blanched as a huge fist came crashing down at him. He thrust his hands out and blocked the attack. To his surprise, the fist only pushed him back about a foot. The Saiyan stared in surprise, as it seemed illogical to him that he would be stronger than a creature that was five times his size.

"What are you waiting for, the sun to shine?" Red Hair shouted. Radditz growled as he gripped the troll's fist and swung the giant around. The troll crashed back a short distance and teetered on the edge of a drop off. Red Hair ran at him, swung up, and kicked the troll in the chest. It gave a yelp and crashed over the edge. The ground quaked as the giant troll hit the ground, then silence.

It had been knocked unconsious.

Red Hair peered over the edge and Radditz, after a moment of hesitation, joined him. The troll twitched down at the bottom, but showed no signs of getting up. The young red haired man chuckled as he leaned on his heavy staff.

"And thus goes the proverb, 'Let sleeping trolls lie'," he said dryly.

"You made that up," Radditz accused.

"How would you know? You're an amnesiac wild man."

"So you _were _listening..hey! Wait a minute! I'm not a wild man!"

"How would you know? You just said you didn't remember anything," Red Hair said calmly. Radditz opened his mouth and closed it. As much as he hated to admit it, the strange man did have a point. The other man seemed to give him a considering look before stepping closer.

"You don't seem to be one of Ramen's men, you're a bit too odd..."

"Hey!"

"...let me take a look at you. Don't worry, I may not look it but I _am _a doctor. You might have a head injury that's caused your memory loss..." Red Hair paused and frowned as he looked at Radditz's mass of unkempt hair.

"Although," Red Hair muttered. "I don't know how I'll be able to tell. Perhaps I should shave your hair off." Radditz glared at him.

"No," he said flatly. Red Hair shrugged as he went back to studying Radditz. After a moment, he stuck out his hand to the surprised Saiyan.

"By the way," Red Hair said. "My name's Maes Maturin. I live over in the village of Xenotyne." Radditz stared down at the hand in confusion and Maes finally reached out and shook it.

"This is how we say hello," he explained. "You don't fight too bad for a wild man."

"I told you already," Radditz said icily. "I'm not a wild man. Are you deaf?"

"No, I'm afraid I just have selective hearing," Maes answered truthfully. Radditz sweatdropped a bit. _Well, at least he's honest. _

"So...if you're not a wild man, how did you get that messy? Or don't you remember that as well?"

"I woke up a little while ago, not to far from here," Radditz explained. His heart beat faster again in a rush of panic and he pushed it down. "I...don't...remember anything." Maes rubbed his chin as he studied the Saiyan's face. The doctor believed him; the clear confusion was too evident on the taller man's face. He really didn't remember anything.

"Did you look like this when you woke up?" Maes asked. Radditz blinked at him. The doctor had suddenly become much calmer and more patient than he had been before.

"No," the Saiyan said. "There were these little white things that..." he paused as the doctor started to laugh. Radditz glared icily at him and Maes rushed to explain.

"Don't feel offended, my friend. You don't need to explain any further, the kodama are tree spirits and they delight in tormenting unsuspecting travelers. I think anyone who's actually done some traveling has had at least one run in with them. Not to worry though, not much harm done. I suspect that your pride more than anything else was injured."

"Where...where am I?" Radditz finally asked.

"You're in the Hiten Forest, a magnificent place really, it doesn't quite have the reputation that it deserves..." Maes broke off as Radditz's stomach gave another loud rumble. Maes blinked before shrugging his shoulders and turning around.

"Come on Mr. Wild Man, I guess I can't leave you here. We'll go back to the village and get you cleaned up so I can examine you better. We'll get something to eat at my house. You know, my wife is the most wonderful cook, you should try her...oh! Just wait until you meet my daughter, she's such a little angel of cuteness..." Maes rambled on as the two men walked off through the forest.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

A small creature peered around a tree trunk as the two men faded into the trees. It hopped closer before tapping a key on the cell phone. This was no ordinary cell phone; it connected directly to the Spirit Realm.

"This is Vadra," the creature said. "Tell King Yamma that everything appears to be under control. Tell him that I will continue to observe the Saiyan and will report back to him later."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Are you feeling better?" Maes asked dryly. They had reached Xenotyne, stopping only once along the way so that Maes could pick a handful of wildflowers for his wife and daughter. After their arrival in the city, Radditz had cleaned up and put on a new set of clothing that the smaller man had found. It hadn't been easy to find something for someone his size, so he'd had to borrow the black pants, the white shirt, and the red tunic from a neighbor.

After that, they had eaten. The Saiyan had put away a considerable amount of food and had exhibited, to the distaste of Maes's wife, horrible table manners. Maes however had been amused by the other man's large appetite. There was only one other man he had met that came close to eating that much. It might be amusing to watch them have an eating contest.

The two had walked outside now and Radditz found himself gazing curiously around at his surroundings. Maes Maturin's house was on the edge of the village, on top of a high hill that overlooked the residents below. It was a tall house that had two full floors and a smaller floor on the top. The top floor opened up into a sort of balcony, with a rounded roof over head. Maes had called it his observatory. There had been many strange pieces of equipment in there, including what the doctor had called a telescope. He also had many medical tools and medicinal herbs set up on one side of the observatory.

Outside the house several gardens ringed the foundation. Flowers, herbs, and vegetables filled the air with a wonderful aroma. A neat stone path wound its way down the hill to a neatly cobbled street below. Tall trees ringed the property and the path below. Maes smiled as he joined the Saiyan, holding his three year old daughter in his arms. Fae had been excited at the arrival of her father and the stranger, but had now drifted off into sleep. He took her inside before coming back out to speak with the strange, wild haired man.

"This place is a bit like paradise for me," Maes said quietly. "Just wait until tonight. The fireflies come out on warm evenings like this and the stars are really bright. It's especially lovely if all three moons are out." Radditz looked up and saw that indeed, there was more than one moon.

"Who is this Ramen guy?" Radditz finally asked. "You accused me of being his spy." The Saiyan glared at him and Maes chuckled before growing serious.

"He's a warlord," he explained quietly, however, Radditz could detect the hint of anger in the voice. "No one knows where he came from, he just showed up suddenly about two years ago. He's been conquering country after country, killing innocent people as he pleases. He enjoys destruction and creating terror."

"Hasn't anyone been able to stop him?" Radditz asked. Maes frowned as he stared down at the village.

"No," he said finally. "But not because people haven't tried. Countries that have formerly been at war have allied to fight against him. His main base of operations is the desert city of Sardonia in the country of Krassk. The people there are a nomadic people and didn't have much of a chance. Sardonia is an ancient city though and is still the center of numerous trade routes."

"If it's a desert city, how do they get around?" Radditz asked. "That seems like an inconvenient place to have a base."

"They say...they say he can _fly._"

"Fly?" Radditz asked in surprise. "How can anyone do that? People don't have wings." The doctor's lips twitched as he clenched his fists.

"I don't know if that's true," Maes admitted. "It's just what I've heard. They say that back in ancient times, people had machines that they used to fly. You can still find remnants of their technology scattered around the different nations, but no one really knows what any of it was used for. However, Ramen and his men supposedly are able to fly without any such aid. Although..." Radditz looked over at him.

"Although what?" he asked.

"I don't know, people have seen some strange things, including me. A few months ago I saw two round ball shaped objects flying across the sky."

"What were they?" Radditz asked curiously.

"I don't know, but they were _fast._"

The two men stood there for a time, looking down at the village. Radditz wasn't sure what to make of all the things that had happened to him. As he didn't remember anything before he had woken up, these were the only memories he had. He suddenly realized that the thought of this peaceful place being destroyed disturbed him.

"Maes...when you first saw me, you said I didn't look like a Lahanian. What did you mean?" the Saiyan asked. Maes looked over at him before crossing his arms.

"This planet is called Lahan, although you'll get some challenges from some other people. People in Krassk call this Lenore and the city-state of Citan calls it Leilhan. Lahanians all have pointed ears like mine and all of Ramen's men; well...they're very different. I don't think most of them belong to what you'd call the same species, if such a term can be used. That is why you yourself are such a mystery, my new friend."

"Do you...do you think I'm really one of his men?" Radditz asked. The doctor hesitated before looking gravely at him.

"I sincerely hope not, but it is difficult to tell. It's quite possible." Maes looked at him for a long moment before breaking into a smirk. "We still don't know you're name, so I guess we'll have to come up with something to call you." The doctor stood there for a long moment, with his long fingers resting on his chin.

"How about Sanyu?" he asked finally. "It means 'wild man' in ancient Verdu I believe. Hmmm...or is it Quantish, oh dear, I can't remember!"

"How do you know it means 'wild man' then?" Radditz asked, a bit annoyed that he still couldn't get rid of his unfortunate new nickname.

"Because, I, my friend, am a learned scholar and know such things as this. I have a brilliant mind that has no equal among..."

"You need a serious reality check," Radditz said.

"Funny," Maes said curiously. "That's what my wife always says. Anyway I think Sanyu will be a good name until..." The doctor continued to ramble on to the Saiyan, who was still wondering what the future held for him.

The future would be very interesting indeed.


	4. Lord Ramen

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z_

_Just some note's on power levels:_

_Radditz: His power level is the same as when Goku and Piccolo fought him, although it may perhaps be just a little bit higher. I'm sure he's done some fighting with the other Saiyans in Hell that might have bumped up his power level a bit._

_Maes: Maes may be a doctor, but he's going to be a powerful fighter in his own right. Lahan's gravity is slightly higher than planet Vegeta's, so that of course will have some impact on the good doctor. I'm not exactly sure how powerful he'd be right now, but he's definitely weaker than Radditz. It's my intention that both he and Radditz will grow stronger through out the story, although Mae's Ki may end up focusing more on the healing aspects of it, like Dende. Mae's wife won't be a major character in the story, although his daughter may end up having more of a role as the story progresses._

_Other characters: Other characters will be revealed in time, if not in this saga, then in another one. Lord Ramen, who was mentioned in the last chapter, will be revealed in this chapter. I'll list his approximate power level at the bottom of the page._

_Other Info: Xethos is the name of the country that Mae's village, Xenotyne, is in. Hypcros is the capital city of Xethos._

**A Second Chance  
**_The Ramen Saga_

_Chpt 4: Lord Ramen_

"Do you get the sense that we're being followed?" Maes asked. Radditz looked back through the forest suspiciously. It had been two weeks since he and Maes had met in the forest. The Saiyan had begun to grow restless so Maes had offered to take him with him into the forest again. This wasn't the first time that they had thought they were being followed.

"I thought I saw something white, but I'm not sure," Radditz admitted. He watched curiously as the doctor searched through the foliage until he found the plants he was looking for.

"What's so great about a plant?" he asked. Maes gave a snort of indignation as he held up some small, pale pink flowers.

"Haven't you learned anything? These are special herbs and can be used in a variety of treatments," the doctor explained. Radditz gave him a blank look.

"It's a _plant_," he said flatly. Maes smirked at him as he tucked the flowers into his leather pouch.

"So's the poison ivy that you're sitting in," he said mildly. Radditz jumped up in dismay and noticed for the first time that his skin was turning red and itchy.

"MAES!"

"Heh heh, just a plant huh?" Maes laughed, then a moment later...

"Sanyu, you idiot! Don't scratch it you proverbial hairball!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

The small creature sat quietly under his cover in the forest. He checked his surroundings to make sure that he wasn't sitting in this poison ivy. His phone vibrated a few minutes later and he picked it up.

"Yes?" he asked quietly.

_"This is King Yamma. How is the Saiyan doing?"_

"He seems to be doing well," the spy answered. "He hasn't killed anyone yet."

_"Has he come into contact with this Ramen fellow yet?"_

"No Sir." There was a pause.

_"Very well Vadra. Keep me updated," _King Yamma said. He clicked off his phone and went back to work. The spy sighed and hopped off through the forest to follow his quarry.

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Oh do stop complaining, it was your own fault," Maes said. Radditz glared at him as he rubbed some sort of pale green cream over his skin.

"You could have warned me," he growled.

"What? And miss the look on your face?"

Maes's wife sighed as she watched the two men quarrel. Riza Maturin shook her head to hide her amusement as Radditz complained about the cream's foul smell. It had taken her some time, but she had begun to grow fond of the wild haired stranger. She had even spent the last week forcing the Saiyan to learn table manners. Riza could be very persuasive when she wanted.

"San San looks funny!" A small voice exclaimed. The three adults looked down at the beaming three year old girl peering into the room. Fae Maturin had her father's red hair instead of her mother's silver hair. She did however have Riza's pink eyes.

"San San had a run in with some evil plants," Maes explained dryly. Radditz glared at him.

"You could have warned me," he repeated. Maes shrugged his shoulders as he threw some supplies into his leather bag.

"Perhaps," he smirked. "But maybe that will teach you to respect certain elements of the natural world."

"Maes..."

"Anyway," Maes continued. "I have some patients down in the village that I need to check on. You can stay here or come with me, it doesn't matter." Radditz sighed as his mysterious restlessness grew. He wanted to go, just to have something to do, but he didn't want to go into Xenotyne looking like this.

"I'll stay here," he said. He fidgeted noticeably and Riza smiled. She picked up her daughter and handed her towards Radditz.

"I have some errands to do as well," Riza Maturin said cheerfully. "Why don't you watch Fae for me until I get back?" Radditz's eyes widened with some horror. He had no idea what to do with a child! At another look at Riza, however, he knew he didn't have a choice. The woman could be down right evil when she wanted to.

"Alright," he said tiredly. The young girl grinned wildly as she climbed up on the chair next to the large Saiyan. The tall man had become a source of fascination for the young child.

"It'll be fun San San!" she promised. Radditz's lips quirked slightly up in a smile as he mentally prayed for divine help.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The man's eyes stared out of the large window. _Such a desolate wasteland. _He had picked the desert city as his main base of operations immediately after landing on the planet. Call it nostalgia perhaps, but it had reminded him of his home planet. He turned around as the footfalls of several soldiers entered the massive room and paused before his throne. A short, massively built pink skinned man stepped through the opening between the soldiers. His white cape brushed the floor as he kneeled before the tall man on the raised dais.

"Lord Ramen," he said respectively. "We have taken the city-states of Citan and Adara."

"I don't want city-states General," Ramen said with quiet anger, "I want the planet." His blue skin flushed violet in anger as he glared down at General Haggis. The soldiers averted their eyes from their fearsome leader. Ramen was a tall man, whose head had been shaved so that he appeared to be bald, except for the high black ponytail on his head. His eyes, normally gray, flashed bright silver at his second in command.

"I'm sorry My Lord," General Haggis apologized. "But these Lahanians are putting up more of a resistance than we had anticipated. If you also include the dragon clans that are living in the Untamed Lands, then occupation is even more difficult. If this were five years ago, Frieza would most likely have sent one of the Saiyans or one of his men to conquer this planet."

"I may not be as powerful as Frieza," Ramen reminded him coldly. "But now that he and his father, his advisors, and the Ginyu force are dead, I am one of the most powerful of those left in what remains of his empire." Frieza and his father had been killed three years ago on some planet called Earth. The empire had fractured after their deaths, leaving men like Ramen to scramble for control over fractured sections of it. Ramen had been rising through the ranks, until he had finally become a likely candidate to enter Frieza's inner circle that had included Zarbon and Dodoria.

"Haggis," Ramen said. "I want you to take the country of Xethos. If that old lady interferes again, I want you to kill her."

"But, my Lord, she has already defeated the last attachment that we sent into that country," Haggis protested. Ramen glared dangerously at him. Unlike most of the Lahanians, there appeared to be an old woman living near the ocean that was quite skilled in Ki attacks. She had been a thorn in his side since she had appeared.

"You are to kill her," Ramen ordered. "I want no mistakes General. It has taken far too long to gain control of this planet."

sssssssssssss

_Ramen: His power level is slightly lower than Zarbon's. Ramen, however, is more cunning than Zarbon when it comes to a battle._

_General Haggis: His power level is about the same as Vegeta's when he first went to planet Namek._


	5. Uninvited Guests

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z_

_Sorry for the delayed update, I've been busy with school. I've also got another fic I'm working on that I'm just two or three chapters short of completing. I've been concentrating more on that so I could get it done._

_I also have a new website up. There's a link to it on my author page. It's not much; I've only linked to my stories on ffnet. I'm going to put fanart on it as well that goes along with my stories, including this one. I hope to get some artwork on my site within the next couple of weeks._

_Other notes: The timeframe for this is three years after Trunks killed Frieza, it's just the beginning of the Android Saga on Earth._

**A Second Chance**

_The Ramen Saga  
__Chpt 5: Uninvited Guests_

Radditz watched the three year old girl as she wandered around Maes's precious herb garden. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't remember anything. Not only that, but he was also having a growing feeling of restlessness. He didn't understand it.

"San San look! We haff a visitor!" The little girl waved her tiny arms in excitement, her two red pigtails bouncing up and down as she ran back towards Radditz.

The Saiyan shook himself out of his thoughts as he spotted the tall figure coming his way. Fae Maturin peeked around the Saiyan before climbing onto his back for a better look. Radditz stood up just as the newcomer came up the last few steps and stopped. He was a tall man, taller than Radditz even, and seemed to be slightly familiar. This brief moment of deja vu was because the bald stranger slightly resembled the dead Nappa, except he had the pointed Lahanian ears and crystal blue eyes. He wore a simple, dark blue tunic over a matching pair of slightly frayed loose pants.

"Uh...who are you?" Radditz asked. His fear of the man being a threat was dispelled the moment the little girl on his back gave a squeal of delight.

"Mr. Maito!" Radditz blinked in surprise as the other man's blue eyes twinkled at the girl. The taller man studied him briefly before sticking out a hand. The Saiyan hesitated a second before shaking it. He had a surprisingly strong grip.

"My name is Chen Maito," the taller man rumbled. "I'm a neighbor of the Maturins. I run a farm about a mile north of here."

"Uh..." Radditz said. Chen Maito continued to shake his hand and the Saiyan couldn't find a way to politely retract his now sore hand from the farmer's grip.

"I've been away the past two weeks up in Hypcros. You know what Hypros is, don't you?" he asked. Radditz shook his head no as he finally managed to pull his hand free. Chen gave him an astonished look before shrugging his massive shoulders and continuing. "Ah yes, I forgot, they said you have amnesia. Hypcros is a port city up north by the Northern Ocean. I took my crops up there."

"Uh..." Radditz said. "Maes and Riza aren't here right now. They had to go down to the village." The other man paused as he looked around. If Maes Maturin had been here, he'd already have been outside talking his ear off.

"I can wait," Chen said. He looked Radditz up and down again before chuckling. "You look like a strong young man. I could use an extra pair of hands on my farm. You want a job?"

"Huh?" Radditz asked. He hadn't been expecting that. "A job?" Chen nodded his head. The Saiyan thought about that. He'd become a little uncomfortable with the realization that he was living off of Maes and Riza. He uncomfortably remembered his growing sense of restlessness and wondered if helping this man might make it go away.

"Sure," he answered. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do. Chen's eyes lit up and when he grinned, his teeth seemed to sparkle. It freaked Radditz out a little. The bigger man chuckled as he slapped the Saiyan across the back, clearly pleased to have some new help.

"Good good, what's your name again?" Chen asked. Radditz paused.

"Uh, I don't remember, but everyone's been calling me Sanyu," he answered. Chen chuckled again as he regarded the muscles on Radditz's bare arms. He was wearing a white shirt with short, wide sleeves that was currently tucked a pair of simple black pants. His long hair was currently tied back in a low ponytail.

"Hmm," Chen muttered. "I'd bet half of my season's crop that you'd be a devil to fight with."

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Ramen peered out of one of the many windows in Frieza's space ship. The alien warlord was currently in a closed meeting with his father, Captain Ginyu, Dodoria, and Zarbon. It was only a matter of time before he was invited to join such meetings._

_"Oh look, it's a lone Falleen princeling," a voice mocked. "I thought your people were supposed to be renowned for their strategic and leadership abilities Ramen. How is it that such an 'intelligent' people didn't notice that one of their suns was ready to explode?"_

_Ramen growled as he turned around to glare at three members of the Ginyu force. Guldo was the one who had spoken, but Berter and Jeice were also smirking at him. He seethed inside as he glowered down at the smallest Ginyu. His home solar system had been destroyed nearly two weeks ago when one of the three suns suddenly went supernova._

_"I'd be careful if I were you," Ramen warned him. "Even Frieza listens to my advice. It won't be long until I'm invited to join his inner circle." The other three laughed at him and Ramen bit back a curse. Like most of his people, he was blessed with the mind of a tactical genius. However, even though he was the strongest fighter of the Falleen, he was still weaker than the Ginyu._

_"Lord Frieza seems to favor Vegeta over you," Jeice pointed out. "Vegeta has a higher kill count." Ramen growled, but not in anger at the Saiyan prince. The two men, while not friendly with the other, were reasonably tolerant of the other. Like Vegeta, Ramen was, or had been, a member of his planet's royal family. His aunt had been the High Queen of the Falleen. Ramen dryly pondered at the irony that now, like Vegeta, his world had also been destroyed._

_"Some day I will kill you," Ramen promised them. "And Frieza won't stop me."_

_"Really?" Guldo mocked. "We heard the same threat from Vegeta this morning." Ramen smiled unpleasantly at them as he caught sight of Frieza down the hall._

_"Well then," Ramen said dryly, "It appears as though Prince Vegeta and I have something else in common."_

Ramen opened his eyes as he gazed out over the desert landscape. His homeworld...only about one hundred of his people had survived the supernova. He allowed his gaze to turn towards the southwest. The Falleen prince tapped the scouter on his ear and studied the power readings. According to his scouter, there were four large powers on the planet and two of them were close together. Three of them were in the country of Xethos and the fourth was in the Untamed Lands.

He knew that one of them was that old woman that was plaguing his soldiers. The other two were to the south, the strongest and the weakest of the four. Ramen had detected three of the power levels since he had arrived; one of them belonging to a village doctor. Healers had been held in high regard on his world and Ramen had decided not to attack the doctor unless he opposed him. The third power was among the dragon clans to the east. However, this fourth new power had only recently appeared about two weeks ago. It was the third largest power on the planet, after him and General Haggis.

Ramen was curious at that. He had sent a detachment of soldiers to kill the old woman up in Hypcros. The Falleen had then sent a smaller group to investigate this new power level in southern Xethos.

He took another look out at the sand dunes before turning around. He had other duties to attend to.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The old woman peered out over the sea. She could sense several of Ramen's soldiers heading her way. She smirked as she sat patiently on a cliff overhanging the deep water. Didn't these fools ever learn? _I suppose not, _she thought. The aging warrior wasn't disappointed. A minute later, six soldiers landed behind her and another six floated over the empty space to her front.

"You know why we're here, Hag," a blonde woman warned. "Lord Ramen's patience has run out." The old woman gave a snort of contempt as she stood up.

"Girl," she warned. "You're just an amateur. If Ramen wants to kill me, he should be man enough to come himself." The younger woman's reptilian eyes narrowed as she pointed a hand at the old Lahanian.

"Wrong answer Grandma," she growled. She fired a Ki blast at the old woman, who lazily held out her hand and absorbed the energy. The soldier hissed as she and several others fired more blasts. The old woman sighed as she also absorbed this energy. _Ignorant idiots, they know nothing about fighting._

"Idiotic youth," the old woman snapped. "I have no patience for foolishness!" She threw out her hands and sent a wave of energy that knocked each of the dozen fighters into the ocean. They didn't come back up. The old woman turned her eyes to the south.

There were two large power levels far in the distance. She had sensed one of them before, but this new one puzzled her. It had appeared, as if out of thin air, only two weeks ago. Whoever it was, he, or she, had a higher power level than her. With a start, the old woman realized that five power levels were currently heading in that direction.

_It appears as though Ramen has taken an interest as well._

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Radditz had just gotten into a friendly argument with Maes when they heard a commotion on the opposite end of the village. Maes, being Maes, had been making fun of his long, wild hair when a small explosion rent the air. He, Maes, Riza, Chen, and little Fae had all turned their eyes to the smoke rising into the early evening sky.

"What was that?" Riza asked. Fae gripped her mother's dress as she peered wide eyed at the smoke. There was another explosion, followed a loud echo of malevolent laughter. Maes and Radditz exchanged looks before taking off down the steps. Chen Maito followed closely behind.

The three men made their way through the now confused streets of Xenotyne as they rushed towards the scene of destruction. Some sixth sense caused Radditz to pull his two companions out of the way as something exploded in front of them. A chorus of laughter was the only warning they had before five men wearing strange armor dropped out of the sky in front of them.

"So, this is the guy with the power reading," one said. "He doesn't look like a Lahanian." Radditz found himself growling as they smirked at him. Another soldier, an ugly man with purple skin, pointed over at Maes.

"Hey, the red head's got a high reading too," he said. Maes glared as he pulled his heavy ebony staff from the strap that had been holding it to his back.

"Hey San, Chen," Maes said. Radditz and Chen glanced over at him.

"What?" Radditz asked. Maes gave a determined grin as he gave a quick spin to his staff. Chen cracked his massive knuckles as he caught the doctor's thoughts.

"You think we can take them?" the doctor asked. An excited grin crossed the Saiyan's face as his heart pumped faster in anticipation.

"Oh yeah," Radditz said. "I think this is what I've been waiting for."

………………………………………………………………………………………

_Some other notes:_

_Chen Maito is only going to be a minor character, like Puar and Oolong. My thoughts so far on him are that he will become a semi-father figure for Radditz. As far as his appearance goes, I hope I did a sufficient job of describing him for now. He appears, in my mind at least, as a sort of cross between Nappa and the character of Major Armstrong from FullMetal Alchemist._

_Also, earlier Ramen stated that his scouter picked up four unusually high power readings on the planet, even though all four are currently beneath his. Of the four, Radditz has the highest, the old woman's is the second highest, and Maes is the lowest of the four. The fourth reading, which is in the Untamed Lands, won't be making an appearance until the second saga of my story._

_I'm thinking that eventually Maes's daughter may develop more of a role as she gets older and turn into a fighter as well._


End file.
